Um, yeah. When it comes to safety inspection, if my brake lights don't work when the brake pedal is depressed, I fail, and I should. That much I will concede.
So I'm a minority as an EV driver that also happens to be in the minority on the subject of brake light control.
I don't agree with the G rate thing. How is what I want any different than dropping it from 6th to 2nd in my 2006 Civic Si? I'm pretty sure that didn't activate the brake lights. If I grab a handful of (or step on) the e-brake has that traditionally activated the brake lights? Maybe it does, I honestly don't know, but would not expect it.
Some good has come of this, it did prompt me to become more acquainted with the Spark EV parking / emergency brake.
I tested it after dark, and just as I hoped it would not, engaging the parking / emergency brake while rolling with lights off engaged the brake lights. Do "normal" cars do that? Oh well.
My argument is simply a desire to have "control freak" freedom vs. what is obviously more safe. I had freedom before, and kind of took it for granted. Now I seem to be in the minority, so I lose.
On a brighter note, if you've never experimented with use of the Spark EV parking / emergency brake, try it sometime when it's not an emergency. It's a rather foreign experience, for me at least, but with a little practice, if an emergency arises, hopefully you will have the feel and muscle memory. That's the good that's come out of this discussion in my case.
